Open food diary what am I doing wrong?
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galgenstrick wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »ClosetBayesian wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »
It's basic calories in vs. calories out. That's what weight loss is.
But you're making a grand assumption that everyone's calories out are exactly the same.
Calories in vs. calories out. 2k calories consumed by me and 2k calories consumed by you is the exact same. 500 calories burned by me is the same as 500 calories burned by you. Calories in vs. calories out.
Yes, but not everyone needs 2k calories.
I see people eating 1k calories and they definitely don't need that little.
and 2000 calories is definitely too little for many athletes. I think what you're trying to say is that you should be in a 500 calorie deficit, but not everyone's TDEE is 2000 calories.
You're right, everyone has different TDEEs. That was my fault for the assumption. But what I'm trying to say is you should go out and burn 500 calories a day.
Or you can eat 500 calories less... honestly, I didn't know CICO could actually be oversimplifed...
If you eat 500 calories less than you're depriving yourself of the nutrients. Plus it doesn't hurt to burn some calories everyday.
You really need to stop assuming what is working for you works for everyone on every single thread you enter. Not everyone can exercise 500 calories a day, not everyone needs 2k calories, and not everyone likes to eat a lot of carbs. Some people may need/want to reduce the calories they eat instead of exercising for hours.0 -
@tincanonastring you've hit the nail on the head in a way. My diary IS correct I know this, if it wasn't I wouldn't have asked this question on the forum I would have just 'tightened' up my calorie/logging unfortunately that isn't the problem. And seriously idk why everyone is focusing on the 1 day that I ate something at work, seriously 1 day! Smh I don't log my gym time so over estimating that's a non issue since I don't even count it as far as calories go. So based of the fact my diary is correct, I should be losing but I'm not. Which is what I am trying to figure out because yes it should be a matter of deficits/ cal in vs cal out but it's not working and idk why. Thus my post0
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So, gonna jump in and point out some things that have been a downfall for me before. Some of these things you may already do, some you may not. If you do, great. If not, some ideas to start using going forward to see if any help.
Weigh your protein bars, if you can. Labels are allowed to be 20% off. The package will say Serving size: 1 bar (30 grams), Servings per package: 1. Weigh that out. I have had protein bars that are a little under or a little over the 30 grams they say they are supposed to be. It may not make a huge difference, but it is something to look at.
Protein shakes: are you weighing those? I see you log "2 scoops." Are you weighing out 2 scoops? The package should say the same as above "Serving size: 1 scoop (28 grams), Servings per package: 30." Weigh out your scoops. My protein powder says 1 scoop (28) grams, but the scoop is actually 35+ grams every time I use it. It may not seem like a big deal, but those calories can add up. Me for example: if I just drank 2 scoops, I would drink 70+ grams of protein powder instead of 56 grams, which could be the difference of 70 calories for me with my protein powder.
For your eggs: weigh them. I see you recorded "large eggs." Large eggs are supposed to be 50 grams. I hardly ever get large eggs that are actually 50 grams. Most of my eggs when I weigh them out are over 50 grams. Now it isn't a significant calorie source, but it could be if you're eating multiple eggs that are actually larger than "large" eggs.
Anything that is semi-solid (nut butters, marmalades, jams, etc.) weigh those out. I see tablespoon measurements in your diary. You may be weighing them out already, but if you aren't start weighing those when you can. Two tablespoons of my peanut butter (for example) is actually over the 32 grams it should be. Am I scooping too much? Maybe. Are my measuring spoons too big? Maybe. But I weigh it out so there is no margin of error there.
Cheese: same thing as I said before. Weigh it out in grams where you can. Most packages will say "Serving Size: 1 ounce, 28 grams." You may already be doing this, but if you're not it's a good habit to incorporate.
Prepackaged snacks (apple slices was one example). Weigh out those packages. Like mentioned before, the labels may say "Servings size 1 package (30 grams)" and actually weigh 35 grams. In the minute details, that's nothing, but day over day over a year that could add to no weight lost or some weight gained.
On servings where you have "0.25 of a container" make sure you weigh that out in grams. (Examples from your diary: black beans, frozen veggies, etc..)
So, I didn't go through your whole diary. I don't have time for that. Hopefully the stuff I mentioned above will help you a little bit. Good luck!0 -
So, gonna jump in and point out some things that have been a downfall for me before. Some of these things you may already do, some you may not. If you do, great. If not, some ideas to start using going forward to see if any help.
Weigh your protein bars, if you can. Labels are allowed to be 20% off. The package will say Serving size: 1 bar (30 grams), Servings per package: 1. Weigh that out. I have had protein bars that are a little under or a little over the 30 grams they say they are supposed to be. It may not make a huge difference, but it is something to look at.
Protein shakes: are you weighing those? I see you log "2 scoops." Are you weighing out 2 scoops? The package should say the same as above "Serving size: 1 scoop (28 grams), Servings per package: 30." Weigh out your scoops. My protein powder says 1 scoop (28) grams, but the scoop is actually 35+ grams every time I use it. It may not seem like a big deal, but those calories can add up. Me for example: if I just drank 2 scoops, I would drink 70+ grams of protein powder instead of 56 grams, which could be the difference of 70 calories for me with my protein powder.
For your eggs: weigh them. I see you recorded "large eggs." Large eggs are supposed to be 50 grams. I hardly ever get large eggs that are actually 50 grams. Most of my eggs when I weigh them out are over 50 grams. Now it isn't a significant calorie source, but it could be if you're eating multiple eggs that are actually larger than "large" eggs.
Anything that is semi-solid (nut butters, marmalades, jams, etc.) weigh those out. I see tablespoon measurements in your diary. You may be weighing them out already, but if you aren't start weighing those when you can. Two tablespoons of my peanut butter (for example) is actually over the 32 grams it should be. Am I scooping too much? Maybe. Are my measuring spoons too big? Maybe. But I weigh it out so there is no margin of error there.
Cheese: same thing as I said before. Weigh it out in grams where you can. Most packages will say "Serving Size: 1 ounce, 28 grams." You may already be doing this, but if you're not it's a good habit to incorporate.
Prepackaged snacks (apple slices was one example). Weigh out those packages. Like mentioned before, the labels may say "Servings size 1 package (30 grams)" and actually weigh 35 grams. In the minute details, that's nothing, but day over day over a year that could add to no weight lost or some weight gained.
On servings where you have "0.25 of a container" make sure you weigh that out in grams. (Examples from your diary: black beans, frozen veggies, etc..)
So, I didn't go through your whole diary. I don't have time for that. Hopefully the stuff I mentioned above will help you a little bit. Good luck!
OP, this is great advice if you aren't doing this.
If you are truly eating exactly and only what is in your diary, and everything has been weighed on a food scale, and you aren't eating back any of your exercise calories, then you need to go to a doctor and a dietitian. Based on your stats, you should be able to eat far more than you are.0 -
I sent a reply, but it doesn't seem to have posted. Weird.
This is going to sound mean, but it's not, I promise. You are wrong about the accuracy of your food diary. You may think it's accurate, but it is not. The reason I know this is because you haven't lost any weight. Your body did not start photosynthesizing sunlight to make up for the low calorie count. Without a medical condition (and it would have to be pretty severe to prevent you from losing on an average of 1125 calories a day), there's just no way that you maintained a daily deficit of 600-700 calories for 3 weeks and didn't lose anything. Our bodies just don't work that way. So, either:- You are a plant-human mutant, or;
- Your diary is wrong, or;
- You have a severe medical condition.
Those are the possibilities. Pick one. You can assure us you are logging accurately all you want, but the evidence says otherwise. In the end, though, the only person affected by this is you. So, you can accept your life as the newest, leafiest member of Professor X's team, see your doctor again to rule out any medical issues, or you can take another look at the database entries you are using to verify they are correct and make sure you are weighing your packaged food and logging accordingly.
When I say logging appropriately, I mean you should have decimal points in your logging. When you eat a Zone Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar for 210 calories, you are rarely eating the servicing size. A serving size is listed as 1 Bar, but it's also supposed to weigh 50g. It's rare that packaged food is exactly the size indicated on the nutrition label. I find that they are usually over (Chobani 150g cups are usually 5-7g overweight). Say your Zone bar is over by 5 grams. That's a 10% difference in weight, so the actual calorie count would be closer to 230. Now do that for every packaged food item in your diary and you'll see how quickly those calories add up.0 -
Yes that's it. I'm lieing about what im eating. Then I'm asking what I can do since what im doing isn't working. While secretly knowing that I'm full of crap, because that is what makes the most sence to you. That I can't possibly understand that when I messure on the food scale if the food scale says 4oz it is infact 4oz but somehow that is really not accurate in your eyes. My post was to get some ideas and help not to be told how I'm either lieing or don't know how to count0
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mistress8956 wrote: »Yes that's it. I'm lieing about what im eating. Then I'm asking what I can do since what im doing isn't working. While secretly knowing that I'm full of crap, because that is what makes the most sence to you. That I can't possibly understand that when I messure on the food scale if the food scale says 4oz it is infact 4oz but somehow that is really not accurate in your eyes. My post was to get some ideas and help not to be told how I'm either lieing or don't know how to count
Then I look forward to your next battle against Magneto. Cheers!
ETA: So how much did your Zone bar weigh this morning?0 -
mistress8956 wrote: »Yes that's it. I'm lieing about what im eating. Then I'm asking what I can do since what im doing isn't working. While secretly knowing that I'm full of crap, because that is what makes the most sence to you. That I can't possibly understand that when I messure on the food scale if the food scale says 4oz it is infact 4oz but somehow that is really not accurate in your eyes. My post was to get some ideas and help not to be told how I'm either lieing or don't know how to count
Why do people make this leap and attack people trying to help? No one is suggesting you're lying. They are suggesting that there are very common mistakes made by almost everyone when we start logging our foods and we want you to know about them so you can rule them out. You would be absolutely amazed by the number of people here who say they're weighing everything but really just mean meats and maybr a few other things. It's seriously about 50% of the posters who make threads like this. If it doesn't pertain to your situation, then move on to the advice that does. There's no reason to pick a fight with people trying to help.0 -
mistress8956 wrote: »Yes that's it. I'm lieing about what im eating. Then I'm asking what I can do since what im doing isn't working. While secretly knowing that I'm full of crap, because that is what makes the most sence to you. That I can't possibly understand that when I messure on the food scale if the food scale says 4oz it is infact 4oz but somehow that is really not accurate in your eyes. My post was to get some ideas and help not to be told how I'm either lieing or don't know how to count
People suggesting that you may be making a (common) mistake in logging (that many of us have also made) isn't accusing you of lying.0 -
Are you being serious right now? Your first mistake is by comparing me to other people, your second is commenting when your own advice it to 'move on' . There is a huge difference between offering help/ ideas and saying someone is lieing. Example excaligrl's post is done in a helpful way while tincanonasting's post and several other post are basically telling me that I'm lieing. If you can't see the difference in the posts then I'm sorry0
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mistress8956 wrote: »Are you being serious right now? Your first mistake is by comparing me to other people, your second is commenting when your own advice it to 'move on' . There is a huge difference between offering help/ ideas and saying someone is lieing. Example excaligrl's post is done in a helpful way while tincanonasting's post and several other post are basically telling me that I'm lieing. If you can't see the difference in the posts then I'm sorry
I said you were wrong, not a liar. Sorry you don't see the difference.
Why aren't you losing weight? We've looked at the math and you've burned enough to lose a few pounds. What is your explanation?0 -
I don't have one which is the reason for my post in the first place. I have stated several times that Im logging and weighing correctly so saying that I am wrong is essentially telling me I'm lieing. There is no difference0
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I mostly lurk, but I'm confused, did you or did you not ask for help? You seem to be rejecting good advice that you asked for. I know, for me, when I was using measurements like 'tablespoon' or 'scoop' I was vastly vastly underestimating my calories, by around 300-500 or so.0
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mistress8956 wrote: »I don't have one which is the reason for my post in the first place. I have stated several times that Im logging and weighing correctly so saying that I am wrong is essentially telling me I'm lieing. There is no difference
Great, you can rule out logging error. Let's go back to the very nice flowchart on page one and proceed to the next step.0 -
mistress8956 wrote: »I don't have one which is the reason for my post in the first place. I have stated several times that Im logging and weighing correctly so saying that I am wrong is essentially telling me I'm lieing. There is no difference
Again, I can tell you are not logging appropriately because of the way your diary appears. All of your servings are whole numbers. An accurate diary doesn't look like that when you are truly weighing everything because that's not how packaged food works.
I'll ask again since you may have missed my edit on the last post. How much did your Zone bar weigh this morning?0 -
When I log the Herbalife protein shake one severing is 2 scoops or 25grams, weigh out the 25 grams on the scale even though it is logged as 2 scoops because it is the exact same thing. My zone bar weighed 52 g being 2g over, I cut off a sliver to get it the the right amount and boom accurate weighing0
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@esnider211 yes I asked for help, but point out what I'm not doing wrong isn't helpful it's counter productive.
@diannethegeek thank you!0 -
mistress8956 wrote: »When I log the Herbalife protein shake one severing is 2 scoops or 25grams, weigh out the 25 grams on the scale even though it is logged as 2 scoops because it is the exact same thing. My zone bar weighed 52 g being 2g over, I cut off a sliver to get it the the right amount and boom accurate weighing
Thank you! Until you posted this, it was absolutely not clear whether you were adjusting for packaging discrepancies or even understood what I was talking about.
What about the database entries you are using? Have you verified the nutrition info against the package info? Also, I don't recall seeing condiments, marinades, and/or cooking oil in your diary. Are you not using them?0 -
I usually just scan the bar code, sometimes I get one that won't scan so I do have to match it up correctly. I use a marinade when I cook chicken ( which is logged) I don't use oil/butter ect. Even with say tuna I don't (usually) use mayo, I use some type of spreadable cheese to add flavor and moisten it up. Nothing agents those condiments lol but I rather use my calories on on something better then oil0
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mistress8956 wrote: »I usually just scan the bar code, sometimes I get one that won't scan so I do have to match it up correctly. I use a marinade when I cook chicken ( which is logged) I don't use oil/butter ect. Even with say tuna I don't (usually) use mayo, I use some type of spreadable cheese to add flavor and moisten it up. Nothing agents those condiments lol but I rather use my calories on on something better then oil
I hear you on wasting calories, but I love butter, so I just work it into my calorie and fat goals.
I would check those bar code scans. The bar code aligns with a database entry, but that doesn't mean it's accurate. The entries to which they align are user generated and are subject to as much inaccuracy as anything else in the database (which is to say they are often wrong). I've seen them bring up wildly incorrect entries.
Also, how are you weighing things like chicken breast? Cooked or raw? I notice you used a Publix Brand chicken breast entry, but it doesn't indicate whether that's cooked or not. I checked the amount you had (112g) against the USDA entry for raw vs. roasted chicken breast. Your entry was close the USDA for raw (130 vs 134 respectively), but if you weighed it cooked, the calories would be about 185. That's a 50 calorie difference, which, when you're trying to run a 1200 calorie goal, is coming up on 5% of your daily intake.0
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